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United States Patent | 5,728,982 |
Rao ,   et al. | March 17, 1998 |
A miniature rotary electric switch having push-in wire terminals comprises a housing which is about 1 inch in length, 1 inch in width and 0.2 inches in thickness and which includes a plurality of wire receiving openings. A plurality of Z-shaped stationary contacts are positioned inside the housing and a rotatable contactor is disposed inside the housing for selectively contacting the stationary contacts. Each stationary contact is positioned to overlie at least a portion of one of the wire receiving openings for locking engagement with a wire to be inserted therethrough. Each stationary contact includes a locking tongue, a spring finger and an intermediate arm, the intermediate arm linking the locking tongue to the spring finger. The locking tongue is connected to the intermediate arm at a first bend and the intermediate arm is connected to the spring finger at a second bend. The housing of the switch is configured to include a plurality of pairs of corners and a plurality of posts, one post being adjacent but spaced away from each corner. Each stationary contact is disposed in the housing with its first bend wedged in one corner in a pair of corners and extending around the post adjacent that corner and its second bend wedged in the other corner in the pair of corners and extending around its post adjacent that corner. Each stationary contact further includes a third bend in the intermediate arm, the third bend having an angle of about 130 degrees to about 140 degrees. The spring finger of each stationary contact comprises a straight member and a bent tip, the straight member and the bent tip forming a bend angle at the junction thereof of about 80 degrees.
Inventors: | Rao; Chepur P. (Kingstown, RI); Thurston; Bryan A. (Johnston, RI); Carreiro; Robert J. (East Providence, RI) |
Assignee: | Tower Manufacturing Corporation () |
Appl. No.: | 593647 |
Filed: | January 29, 1996 |
Current U.S. Class: | 200/6R; 200/6C; 200/6BB; 200/11G; 200/11R; 200/284; 200/303 |
Intern'l Class: | H01H 021/18; H01H 001/12; H01H 009/28; H01H 019/58 |
Field of Search: | 200/6 R,6 A,6 B,6 C,11 R,284,11 G,283,303,6 BB,11 C |
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